We are living in weird times.
As most of the country is essentially stuck indoors at the moment, cooking at home is becoming not only important, but necessary. I’m fortunate in that I already love to cook and do so often. But I know that not everyone is in the same boat.
In an attempt to stay busy, stay creative, and quite honestly stay SANE… I’ve been trying to develop recipes that might be helpful in times like this. Enter: gnocchi 3 ways!
1.) Potatoes: a great vegetable to stock up on right now because they stay good for at least a couple of weeks. And since russets or Yukon golds are generally the first to go, I tried out purple potatoes!
2.) Ricotta: I’ve made ricotta gnocchi on the blog before using gluten free flour. It might not be something everyone has on hand, but I noticed that it definitely wasn’t something lots of people were grabbing for at the store (unlike other dairy products.) It was also by far the easiest version to make.
3.) Canned garbanzo beans/chickpeas: This was the big wild card. There was virtually no recipes for making gnocchi with garbanzo beans on the web, and lots of people have canned beans on hand right now. The gnocchi made with garbanzo beans was definitely chewier than the other two gnocchis, but in a pinch, I think it totally works! I’m curious to try cannelloni beans too!
We are also using this time at home to work on our video skills, so Justin and I decided to create a little video showing you my testing process for all three types, along with my review and taste test for each. If you decide to make any of these, please let me know how they turn out! How are you guys keeping busy right now?
With just a few basic ingredients, you can make homemade gnocchi in no time at all. Try it with potatoes, ricotta and even canned garbanzo beans or chickpeas! RICOTTA GNOCCHI Empty ricotta onto a paper-towel lined plate or paper-towel lined mesh strainer set over a bowl. Using more paper towel, press down on ricotta to remove as much moisture as possible. (Ideally, allow to drain for an hour or more. However, to speed the process, you can continue swapping out paper towels and pressing out liquid.) In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan and eggs and season with a kosher salt and cracked pepper. Whisk together until everything is incorporated, and slowly start adding flour until a sticky dough has formed. Sprinkle a large cutting board with more flour and transfer dough to board. Continue kneading in flour until dough is no longer wet, but slightly tacky and springy. Sprinkle a parchment-lined baking sheet with some of the remaining flour mixture. Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a long, thick rope, about 3/4-inch thick. Using a bench scraper, cut the log into 3/4-inch “pillows.” You can leave them as is or shape them into grooved gnocchi by rolling them off the back of a fork or gnocchi board. Transfer this batch to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough. If freezing, place pan in freezer for at least one hour. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for storage. If eating immediately, bring a large salted pot of water to boil. Working in batches, add some of the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, let them cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. (You can cook directly from frozen, it will just take longer for them to begin floating.) Toss with sauce of choice or simply pan fry in some butter and top with additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately! POTATO GNOCCHI In a large bowl, combine cooked/riced potatoes and egg and season with a kosher salt and cracked pepper. Whisk together until everything is incorporated, and slowly start adding flour until a sticky dough has formed. Sprinkle a large cutting board with more flour and transfer dough to board. Continue kneading in flour until dough is no longer wet, but slightly tacky and springy. Sprinkle a parchment-lined baking sheet with some of the remaining flour mixture. Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a long, thick rope, about 3/4-inch thick. Using a bench scraper, cut the log into 3/4-inch “pillows.” You can leave them as is or shape them into grooved gnocchi by rolling them off the back of a fork or gnocchi board. Transfer this batch to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough. If freezing, place pan in freezer for at least one hour. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for storage. If eating immediately, bring a large salted pot of water to boil. Working in batches, add some of the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, let them cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. (You can cook directly from frozen, it will just take longer for them to begin floating.) Toss with sauce of choice or simply pan fry in some butter and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately! CHICKPEA GNOCCHI Strain and rinse canned chickpeas. Transfer to a food processor fitted with metal blade. Process on high until chickpeas are mostly pureéd. Add egg, salt and pepper and continue processing until mostly smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, and slowly start adding flour until a sticky dough has formed. Sprinkle a large cutting board with more flour and transfer dough to board. Continue kneading in flour until dough is no longer wet, but slightly tacky and springy. Sprinkle a parchment-lined baking sheet with some of the remaining flour mixture. Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a long, thick rope, about 3/4-inch thick. Using a bench scraper, cut the log into 3/4-inch “pillows.” You can leave them as is or shape them into grooved gnocchi by rolling them off the back of a fork or gnocchi board. Transfer this batch to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough. If freezing, place pan in freezer for at least one hour. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for storage. If eating immediately, bring a large salted pot of water to boil. Working in batches, add some of the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, let them cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. (You can cook directly from frozen, it will just take longer for them to begin floating.) Toss with sauce of choice or simply pan fry in some butter and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately! With the same basic techniques, you can create homemade gnocchi from a variety of ingredients!Gnocchi 3 Ways
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
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